EDGE, Houston
Height: 6’6″
Weight: 270 lbs
Class: Senior
Turner was a two-star recruit back in 2017 and Houston were the only school to offer him a scholarship. He has since grown into an integral part of the team, leading the team with five sacks and 10.5 tackles for loss in 2020. Turner offers the ideal combination of size and length and could be a great value pick on Day 2.
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Strengths
One of Turner’s biggest strengths is his physical profile. At 6’6″ and 270 lbs he is one of the biggest edges in the class. He actually played at almost 290 lbs in his junior year, before shedding weight for the 2020 season. His length causes a tonne of problems for opposing tackles and is his biggest pass rushing weapon. There is an element of similarity between Turner’s game and that of Gregory Rousseau. Like Rousseau, Turner can win off the edge, but also offers the versatility to move inside on passing downs. He played mainly as a 4-3 end at Houston, but would be equally comfortable playing as a 5-tech in a 3-4 front.
Turner won’t be the fastest or most flexible edge in this class, but he offers good burst and bend for his size. There aren’t many players who move as well off the edge and Turner does at 270 lbs. This is a rare combination of skills and it served him well this season. Turner finished with 11 pressures and five sacks on just 106 pass rushing snaps. His 90.0 PFF pass rushing grade ranked 16th in the FBS.
Another of Turners biggest strengths is his hand usage. He showcases a pretty good variety of pass rushing moves and his combination of size and burst gives him a wide variety of options. He possesses excellent club-swim and push-pull moves, but also has the power to bull rush opposing tackles and collapse the pocket. Turner has some real pop to his hands if he makes contact first he is able to control the rest of the rep.
One thing that is obvious when watching Turner is his high motor. He gives his all on every rep and there were a number of plays that he made solely as a result of his tenacious approach. There were also some impressive plays that he made in pursuit of the ball-carrier. Whilst this can on occasion border into a bit of a ‘bull in a china shop’ approach, teams will love the effort he shows.
Weaknesses
The biggest concern with Turner will be his sample size. Although he played in all four of his seasons at Houston, he didn’t really break out until 2020. Even then, his impressive performances came across just four games. Whilst the tools and potential are there, we just haven’t seen sustained success yet. There will also be questions about the level of competition he faced as very few of the tackles he came up against were of NFL quality.
In terms of his technique, Turner has a tendency to run high. It isn’t a massive surprise given his size, but he needs to do a better job of playing with good leverage. There is also the potential that some teams will view Turner as something of a tweener. He is quick rather than fast, and whilst his bend is impressive for his size, he is never going to be a pure speed rusher in the NFL. Some may want him to kick inside, but at 270 lbs he is too small to win there on a consistent basis. In the right scheme, Turner has bags of potential, but he will need to be utilised correctly.
Bottom Line
Turner is an interesting prospect. His 2020 tape was very impressive and he offers a rare size/length combo off the edge. He showed that he can win in a variety of ways, and his hand usage is already pretty impressive. That said, there will be some concerns about level of competition and sample size. Turner isn’t anywhere near being the finished product yet, but he offers real upside as a versatile three-down lineman.
Big Board Rank: #65
Positional Rank: #9
